Supervisors press agencies for faster, public reporting after traffic fatalities

Supervisors on the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on July 28 took up a resolution to amend the city's Vision Zero traffic‑fatality protocol to increase public transparency after fatal collisions.

Supervisor Dean Preston, a sponsor of the resolution, said neighborhoods and families repeatedly ask what happened and what the city will do to prevent a repeat. "There are many questions, including what exactly happened, what ... street design changes might have prevented the crash, and what's in the works right now in terms of improvements," Preston said.

SFPD Commander Peter Walsh outlined the department’s collision investigation procedure and initial notifications to city leaders; Walsh said fatal and serious crashes activate the Traffic Collision Investigative Unit and that some information must be withheld early to protect criminal investigations.

DPH described a coordinated crisis response for families and a monthly fatality report (compiled roughly 30 days after incidents with medical examiner confirmation) that shows counts, equity and five‑year trends. SFMTA traffic engineer Ricardo Olalla described the agency’s rapid‑response inspections, immediate mitigations (daylighting, signal timing, parking removals) and the role of longer‑term projects when patterns emerge.

Staff said a prior pilot (2019) included in‑person outreach to residents and merchants near fatal sites but that effort was paused for funding reasons. SFMTA estimated the on‑site posting program to cost about $150,000 per year if applied citywide; more comprehensive community outreach could roughly double that figure. Departments proposed a more up‑to‑date, public spreadsheet/report documenting what is known and what actions are underway, on‑site postings for fatal locations, and quarterly briefings to the SFMTA board.

Public commenters supported the resolution and urged town halls at fatality sites; callers cited specific intersections (Outer Richmond, Sunset) where deaths had prompted community protests and years‑long requests for safety changes.

Procedural outcome: Supervisors voted to continue Item 2 to the call of the chair so departments can finalize a public‑reporting template, outreach design and cost estimates. The roll call recorded three ayes and the item will return with additional detail.

Next steps: Departments will return with a draft public report, cost estimates for on‑site postings and outreach, and recommendations for MTA board reporting frequency.